TMFPostOfTheDay (< 20)

Achilles and Gunter

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Achilles: Gunter, you Germans have to get your banks to let us default. You are crushing our economy. We have massive unemployment. The poor are pushing starvation. We are going to revolt.

Gunter: Are you kidding? You lazy Greeks retire at 50 years old, and don't pay your taxes. You are going to pay for everything you have purchased.

Achilles: But Gunter- it is not the common man who is retiring at 50 or not paying taxes. It is the doctors and lawyers- the 'self employed' who do not pay taxes. And why? Because they are paying the politicians.

Gunter: Surely you just- it is all of the Greeks!

Achilles: No- it is the rich and powerful (and pampered) who make out here. Those with money buy themselves tax breaks, or "private tax enforcement". If you can pay the bribe, you can escape the tax. This is the rich mans game here. The poor man here- he pays taxes, and gets no early retirement. In your country, the rich man does not rule though.

Gunter: No- in fact they do. The German bankers are the ones who have bet so heavily on the Greek debt. They are the rich here who are running the game. They were the ones who stand to lose, and who control our politicians. It is the German taxpayer who is actually having to pay for the losses. It is the rich bankers here who are putting the boot to Greece's neck.

Achilles: You mean it is the rich man in Germany who is crushing the Greek poor man?

Gunter: No it is the rich man in Greece who is crushing the German poor man. Your rich and powerful are the ones who are evading paying the taxes, who are not paying the debts, who run up the debts. Do you think the German bankers pay for this in reality? No, it is the German citizen. The rich and connected in Greece are robbing the poor in Germany.

Achilles: You mean the rich man in Germany crushes the poor man in Greece, and the rich man in Greece crushes the poor man in Germany?

Gunter: It seems so. It seems the rich are ripping off the poor everywhere.

Achilles: So the labeling of the problem as being a country problem, rather than class problem, is really a sleight of hand, to hide the truth?

Gunter: No, I think it is just stupidity, no sleight of hand required.

Achilles: You mean the rich do not even need to cover up their game, they can just rip off the poor?

Gunter: Yes- those low self esteem poor in all countries take the boot in the behind.

Achilles: No more, we are going to revolt.

Gunter: Good luck with that- the rich and powerful will lie down for the poor? In what world are you in?